A Nazarene Missions Team from Chile traveled to Papua New Guinea in April for a time of fellowship, learning, and service, according to a June 18 announcement. The event was organized by the Papua New Guinea Field at the Nazarene General Hospital and marked the first occasion that a missionary team from the South America Region served in the Asia-Pacific Region.
The gathering highlighted cooperation across cultures within the Church of the Nazarene. Organizers said it demonstrated unity among members despite differences in culture and language. Oriela Apablaza, a Chilean lawyer and international speaker specializing in family law, led workshops for women of the community. She shared her professional experience as well as her testimony of faith during one session.
More than 100 women attended sessions covering legal, psychological, and spiritual topics. The workshops emphasized each woman’s value as an individual created in God’s image and reaffirmed their dignity and purpose within their families, communities, and churches.
To accommodate participants’ diverse backgrounds, Daniella Woltjer translated sessions between Spanish and English while Marilyn Arua and Rosen Henry facilitated group discussions in Tok Pisin. Organizers said these efforts promoted closeness through linguistic diversity.
The training concluded with a seminar on gender-based violence titled “Beyond the Legal Aspects: A Holistic Perspective,” which was designed for graduating students at Nazarene College of Nursing. The seminar aimed to equip future healthcare professionals with tools to address complex realities with empathy.
“I loved every moment teaching these precious women… we are all beautiful in Christ, and we all delight in learning relevant topics, but in the light of the Bible as women of faith,” Apablaza said. “God is doing amazing and wonderful things in the lives of the women of Papua New Guinea, giving them wisdom that comes from above to be salt and light.”
